1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of LED devices and, more particularly, the present invention relates to an LED which emits light from all sides.
2.Description of the Related Art
Surface-emitting and edge-emitting LEDs are generally known in the art. In edge-emitting LEDs, light emerges at the side in the plane of the active zone. U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,715 describes an LED in which the light in a waveguide is guided to the side faces of the component. The reference describes a structure which can be used to prevent the light from propagating in undesired modes in the waveguide. In one embodiment, the thickness of the wave-guiding layer is limited to a little more than 0.8 times the wavelength of the radiation generated in the case of propagation in the material of the wave-guiding layer. The waveguide is guided up to the edge of the component. The active region can likewise reach as far as the edges or be limited to a region in the interior of the wave-guiding layer.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an LED structure in which the light emission is substantially improved by comparison with these conventional LEDs.